The NEOM America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) paid a visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The event itself was raced in AC 40s as opposed to the full-sized Cup Class monohull “foilers” that will used for the America’s Cup selection series and the Match final, which will be sponsored once again by Louis Vuitton.

Ultimately this event will have little or no effect on what happens in the actual America’s Cup next year in Barcelona, Spain.

What was of consequence was that the ACWS was even there to begin with, given the human rights concerns with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi of the Washington Post in 2018 still resonates deeply in the West, specifically with many of us who are concerned with the eroding rights of freedom of the press, violence against journalists and the advent in popular culture of “fake news.”

This should be a sailing story and about the America’s Cup, but “sportswashing” is attempting to erase not only the Saudi kingdom’s brutal treatment of political adversaries of the ruling family, but also the treatment of women in their society, which has drawn condemnation from around the world.

Saudi Arabia is moving toward the kingdom’s “Vision 2030” and is aiming to create economic growth while promoting culture, entertainment and sport, and has thrown billions of dollars at multiple sporting events from the LIV Golf Tournament to FIFA’s World Cup, plus Formula One, in a brazen attempt to lure the world into a false sense of complacency and “amnesia” as to what truly happens behind the closed doors of their country.

What is truly frightening is that the ETNZ and America’s Cup Event CEO and “chief decision maker” Grant Dalton is completely infatuated by the lure of Saudi dollars, and it is almost a foregone conclusion that the 38th America’s Cup will land in Jeddah if the New Zealand team defends the Auld Mug in October next year.

Event sponsor NEOM is a project that is set to transform the Red Sea coast of Northwest Saudi Arabia into a futuristic city, unlike any other, that was launched in 2017 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and will be powered by 100% renewable energy.

The New York Yacht Club’s American Magic team had taken a strong stand back in May this year when the event in Saudi Arabia was first announced, but then was rebuffed by the America’s Cup Arbitration Panel, which referred the matter back to the Challenger of Record (CoR) INEOS Brittania and the Royal Yacht Squadron, who seem as smitten by the prospect of the influence of Saudi billions into the sport as everyone else.

The American Magic team did show up, almost unannounced, portending a fait accompli, and at the start of the first race I wasn’t sure if they were competing or not, as they inexplicably sailed off the racecourse as skipper Tom Slingsby later described it as, “A really tough day. I don’t think I’ve had a day like that before. I don’t know what to say; we’re frustrated, embarrassed, it’s not good enough and we need to do a better job. We know we can sail better than that.”

As far as results on the water were concerned the Kiwis dominated the weekend, which comes as no surprise. The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team put “youth” in the driver’s seat, and they sailed remarkably well until they “submarined” their AC40 in a valiant attempt to emulate Moses and part the Red Sea, which ended their hopes.

After a disastrous opening day, American Magic clawed their way back to a respectable fourth place in the regatta.

“Winning hides a lot of things, and losing unfolds some of that. We will take a good, hard look at ourselves and understand what that means,” said Terry Hutchinson, American Magic’s president of sailing operations. “It’s going to be a deeper dive with the entire sailing team to hear the helmsmen’s and the trimmer’s perspectives on why we raced well and why we didn’t race well.”

But again, there are larger issues at play here that cannot be ignored. There was a great deal of respect that the NYYC earned when attempting to boycott this event for not only safety concerns, but also hopefully drawing a spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s dreadful human rights record.

As the event unfolded the NYYC offered the following statement from Commodore Paul M. Zabetakis, MD: “Whether to participate in the AC40 event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is and was a team decision. The Club stands 100 percent behind its decision, and our membership is excited to cheer on the team this weekend as it aims for a second straight win.”

“We have been working closely with the US government, the Saudi Ministry of Sports, the Saudi Sailing Federation, and the America’s Cup over recent months. We are grateful for their support in hosting this America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta,” said Mike Cazer, NYYC American Magic chief executive officer. “Racing in Jeddah will be a historic occasion, and we hope that the team’s participation can contribute to the development, promotion, and inspiration of sailing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Two prominent members of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS), Jim Farmer and Hamish Ross, both lawyers who have been directly involved and a part of Team New Zealand America’s Cup efforts since almost the beginning, have spoken out quite eloquently against having such an event in Saudi Arabia and have put their memberships on the line or have resigned.

“It would seem the selection is merely a prelude to a full Cup defense held there, should RNZYS’s defense of the Cup be successful,” wrote Ross. “There is no quantity of silver that can justify the selection of Jeddah and as others in the NZL media have eloquently pointed out, there is now much hypocrisy behind the much-touted “green” America’s Cup and its advancement of women in the sport, with this selection.”

Others who have spoken out forcefully or who have taken a stand include Ukrainian Chess Grandmaster Anna Muzychuck in 2017, as she boycotted and put her title on the line for an event that was held in Saudi Arabia, stating at the time that she, “was not to play by someone’s rules, not to wear abaya, not to be accompanied getting outside, and altogether not to feel myself a secondary creature.”

Saudi and America’s Cup officials would point out, though, that changes have been made, and that the outside world should respect the sovereignty of their country and kingdom.

“Things have changed significantly in a short few years, more than most people realize. The country is really opening up to itself and to the rest of the world,” said Samia Bagdady, CEO of Saudi Sailing Federation. “Saudi is a new home to all, simply because the people are no different [from] anyone else. They want to live happy, healthy, active lives. It’s what the people want and what the government is supporting.”

“This is the first international sailing regatta on the Red Sea. Not only that, but it’s the pinnacle of the sport, the America’s Cup. We’re trailblazing in a region that’s the future of the sport, and I take immense pride in being a part of that,” said Dalton. “We will work side by side to achieve the objectives of the Ministry of Sports, increase participation, and elevate the standards of sailing within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“The America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah will help us accelerate the growth of watersports in Saudi Arabia,” said Bagdady. “We want more people to experience sailing, kite surfing, wing foiling and other watersports and we want young people to aspire to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics and Paralympic Games. The pioneering spirit of both America’s Cup and NEOM will help us demonstrate that sailing is relevant to young people who are driven by sport, healthy lifestyles and technical innovation.”

“We hope that our team’s participation can contribute to the development [and] promotion of sailing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Hutchinson, “It’s impressive to witness the progress and the inspiring youth program they have in place, and their dedication to promoting the sport of sailing. Their approach aligns with our mission at American Magic. It’s exciting to envision the potential impact of this youth program in this spectacular sailing venue.”

The Saudis have made strides toward modernizing their society, and slowly allowing women more freedom is a positive step toward that future. We should respect their country and its religious beliefs and customs, but my opinion is that racing for the America’s Cup in the Red Sea shouldn’t be part of it.

I have personally weighed whether it was “worth it” or not to be lulled into the “fold,” like others in my profession, but it goes against everything I have ever believed in as a writer, journalist and as an American, even as we navigate our own country’s path forward and the significant challenges ahead.